Presentation of Vellums signed by the Prince of Wales.

THBEE presentations of Centenary Vel- lums to stations have taken place since last summer—at Sunderland and Hartle- pool last October, and at Newhaven in April of this year. The total of such Vellums presented is now thirty-three.

Each Vellum is signed by the Prince of Wales and bears a record expressing the Institution's appreciation of the voluntary work of the Officers and Committee and of the devotion and courage of the Life-boat Crew.

The number of lives rescued and of medals awarded (as given in the follow- ing reports) is up to the date of the ceremony, but it is not in every case possible to give the total of lives from the date of the establishment of the Station, as the early records are not always complete. The medals are in each case all medals awarded to Life- boatmen and others from the foundation of the Institution in 1824.

Sunderland, Durham.

Sunderland is mentioned in the first Annual Report of the Institution, pub- lished in 1825, in a list of places at which Life-boats were maintained by local bodies or private individuals, but of the early days of the Station the Institution has no record. The Institu- tion took it over in 1865, and since then there have been at Sunderland, at various times, seven Life-boat Sta- tions. Of these only the Motor Life- boat Station, established in 1911, now remains. The first Motor Life-boat was the J. McConnel Hussey, which had previously been stationed at Folkestone and Tynemouth. This boat is of his- toric interest, for she was the first experimental Motor Life-boat in the Institution's Fleet. She was built in 1893 as a Pulling and Sailing Life-boat, and in 1904 she was converted into a Motor Life-boat, being fitted with a 12 h.p. Fay and Bowen two-cycle motor, which gave her a speed of 6 knots. She remained at Sunderland until 1914. In 1918 the present Motor Life-boat, the Henry Vernon, previously stationed at Tynemouth, was trans- ferred to Sunderland. Sunderland has had altogether fifteen Life-boats, in- cluding the present Motor Life-boat, and they have rescued 187 lives since 1865.

Four Silver Medals have been awarded to Life-boatmen and others.

The presentation of the Vellum was made on October 25, 1929, by Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., Chairman of the Committee of Management of the Institution, at a meeting held in the Town Hall. The Mayor of Sunderland, President of the Branch, was in the chair, supported by Alderman Sir Walter Raine, Chairman of the Branch.

In making the presentation, Sir Godfrey Baring spoke of Sunderland as being one of the strongholds of the Life-boat Service. Sir Walter Raine received the Vellum on behalf of the Branch, and in doing so spoke of the pioneers of Life- boat work on the North-East Coast.

He also referred to the devoted work of the late Mr. W. J. Oliver, for twenty-six years the Honorary Secretary of the Station, and one of the first to be elected an Honorary Life Governor of the Institution, when these Governorships were instituted as the highest honour which the Institution could bestow on its honorary workers. Sir Walter Raine then presented the Vellum to the Mayor, who said that it would be hung in a place of honour in the Town Hall.

Hartlepool, Durham.

Hartlepool, like Sunderland, appears in the first Annual Report of the Institution, published in 1825, as already having a Life-boat Station. There have been, at different times, three Stations at Hartlepool itself, and two at West Hartlepool. The two West Hartlepool Stations were taken over by the Institu- tion in 1869, and the three Hartlepool Stations in 1875. Since 1850 the number of lives rescued is 277. Seven Srlver Medals have been awarded to Life- boatmen and others ; and in 1902 a monetary award was made to the Crew of Hartlepool No. 3 Station by the German Emperor, for rescuing the crew of a German vessel. One of the remark- able features of the Station's work is the record of its Honorary Secretaries. It has only had two since it was taken over by the Institution in 1875. Mr.

H. S. Belk held that position until 1883, when he was succeeded by the present Honorary Secretary, his brother, Mr. Alfred Belk, who has thus served for forty-seven years, and has twice received presentations from the Institution in recognition of his services.

The Vellum was presented on 26th October, 1929, by Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., Chairman of the Committee of Management of the Institution, at a meeting held in the Council Chamber.

The Mayor presided, supported by Colonel Burdon, President of the Branch.

In making the presentation, Sir Godfrey Baring paid a warm tribute to the sup- port which Hartlepool had always given to the Life-boat Service. The Vellum was received by the Mayor, who pro- mised that it would have a place of honour in the records of the town.

Newhaven, Sussex.

- The Newhaven Life-boat Station was established in 1825. Of the work of the first Life-boat the Institution has no record, but since 1851, when the second boat was stationed there, the Newhaven Life-boats have rescued 317 lives. It has had altogether nine Life-boats, three of which, all called Michael Henry, being built out of the Jewish Scholars' Life-boat Fund. These three boats served at the station from 1877 until 1912. Newhavea was one of the first Stations to be equipped with motor power, the third Michael Henry being converted into a motor boat in 1906.

Six years later she was replaced by the present Motor Life-boat, named after Sir Fitzroy Clayton, who was Chairman of the Committee of Manage- ment from 1908 until 1911. This boat is shortly to be replaced by another and more powerful Motor Life-boat.

One Gold, six Silver and two Bronze Medals have been awarded by the Insti- tution to Life-boatmen and others for gallantry in saving life. In addition to these awards, the present Coxswain has received an inscribed Gold Watch, and each member of the Crew an inscribed Silver Goblet from the Danish Govern- ment for the rescue of the crew of the schooner Mogens Koch on 7th December, 1929.

* The Vellum was presented by Rear- Admiral T. P. H. Beamish, C.B., M.P., a member of the Committee of Manage- ment of the Institution, at the Annual Dinner to the Newhaven Crew on 13th December, 1929. Mr. R. W. Dewdney, Chairman of the Local Committee, presided, supported by Mr. E. H.

Bennett (Chairman of the Newhaven Urban District Council), Mayor R. G.

Willis (Chairman of the Seaford Urban District Council), and the Chairmen of the Newhaven and Seaford Chambers of Commerce. In making the presenta- tion Rear-Admiral Beamish spoke in particular of the splendid rescue, a week before, of the crew of the Mogens Koch, in which service Coxswain Payne had been so severely injured that he was unable to be present at the dinner.

The Vellum was received by Mr. Bennett, who spoke of Newhaven's pride in its Life-boat, recalling the names of its distinguished Coxswains, and referring to the services of Mr. J. J. Lines, who had been Honorary Secretary for nearly thirty years..